1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to devices and systems that control the barking of pet dogs. More specifically, the present invention is related to a bark control device having an associated vibration dampening housing which decreases the possibility of false corrections being given to the dog. The invention also relates to a method for manufacturing a vibration dampening housing for a bark control device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic bark control devices and systems that control the barking of pet dogs by delivering a correction stimulus to the dog are known in the art. Such devices use various correction stimuli such as, for example, an audible warning sound, and, more commonly, an electric shock. Further, such devices use various triggering mechanisms to determine when a bark has occurred and when a correction stimulus is to be delivered to a dog. Certain systems utilize a vibration sensor carried by the dog that detects vibrations generated by a bark and triggers the delivery of a correction stimulus. For example, the vibration sensor can be a piezoelectric device in contact with the throat of the dog as in the case of the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,054. However, bark control systems which utilize vibration sensors in contact with the throat of the dog to detect the barking of the dog can be prone to delivering false corrections to the dog. For example, the vibration sensor and associated electronic circuitry of the bark control device are typically disposed within a housing secured to the dog's neck with a collar. During the normal activities of the dog it is not uncommon for the housing to rub or scrape against objects such as furniture, bushes, food or water bowls, etc., causing vibrations. Such vibrations can be interpreted by the bark control device as a bark, resulting in a false correction being delivered to the dog. In this regard, false corrections can confuse the dog and undermine the training process. In order to limit the number of false corrections delivered to the dog, some bark control devices utilize a microphone which detects sound waves in addition to a vibration sensor which detects vibrations directly from the throat of the dog. Such devices can better discriminate between an actual bark by the dog wearing the device and other outside influences which could be mistakenly interpreted as a bark. However, devices utilizing microphones tend to be expensive, and tend to be less energy efficient such that the life of the batteries powering the devices can be significantly shortened. Therefore, bark control devices utilizing direct vibration monitors alone remain a popular alternative, notwithstanding the possibility of false corrections. Examples of various bark control devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,180,013; 5,927,233; 6,588,376; and 6,668,760.